Tsujo Starts Figuring Them Out.

I made it to the deck just in time to hear someone shouting, "The Marines are here!"

The entire pirate crew was in disarray; without Alvida to bark orders, it was every man for himself. Panic surged through me. I wasn’t like these guys; I never really wanted this life (Pirate, yes! Alvida Pirate Cabin Boy, no!) It was either join them or end up at the bottom of the sea when they raided my fishing boat. But with Alvida gone, flung off the ship by that Straw Hat guy's stretchy punch, I was technically free—except I was still trapped.

I glanced over the railing and saw the Devil Fruit guy and Koby already making their escape on a small skiff. They were too far to call out to, and part of me envied their quick getaway. Here I was, stuck on a ship swarming with panicking pirates and incoming Marines. Not exactly the best place to be.

As the Marines boarded, I saw them charging, their uniforms crisp and determined. In a split-second decision, I tossed my cutlass to the deck and raised my hands. This was it—I was going to be arrested.

To my shock, the Marines ran right past me. My heart was hammering in my chest, my hands still raised in the air, expecting any moment to be tackled or shouted at. But nothing happened. They were focused on apprehending the more obvious threats, the ones still armed and resisting.

One Marine paused, glanced at me, and then turned to his comrade. "Leave him, he's just a normal guy." His words set the wheels turning in my head.

Just a normal guy? The phrase echoed in my mind. Hadn’t that basically been how Vivienne and Reginald treated me? Just a normal dude in their room when they’d just been freaking out about pirates? Just a normal guy eating their food, taking their jewelry, feeling up the lady? And then they’d switched from not caring to being REALLY interested in me when I’d said that thing about him normally- wait. Normally? Just a normal guy? I’d felt that weird warmth from the earrings right then, too!

Could it be? No, it was too bizarre. But then again, today had been nothing but bizarre.

The realization slowly dawned on me. Those earrings weren't just some shiny trinket; they might actually be influencing how people saw me. All this time, I worried about looking like a pirate, about being lumped in with Alvida’s crew, and here I was, dismissed as a 'normal guy' amidst a pirate raid.

I needed to test this theory, and I needed to understand what was happening. If those earrings really had the power to alter perceptions, maybe I could use them to my advantage, to slip away from this life and start fresh. Maybe, just maybe, I could walk away from here, not as a pirate, but as just another face in the crowd.

Of course, as I looked at the violent melee taking place mere meters from me as the bravest of Alvida’s cutthroats tried to resist capture against the tide of Marines, I realized I should have probably been paying attention. I winced as I saw Locke cry out and a gout of blood erupt from his abdomen as he was run through.

The sight of Locke’s injury jolted me. I didn't particularly like the guy, but I didn't wish him dead. Some of these pirates weren’t entirely bad, and none of them deserved to die here.

Driven by a mix of desperation and the bizarre possibilities of the earrings, I blurted out, "It's normal for you guys to surrender and the Marines not to kill any of you!" I half-expected nothing to change, ready to be scoffed at or worse.

But then, something incredible happened. The fighting, which had been fierce and ****, abruptly stopped. The transition was so smooth, so utterly seamless, that it felt choreographed. Pirates dropped their weapons, hands raised, expressions resigned but not fearful. Marines lowered their own weapons, their postures relaxing, as if this was the expected outcome all along.

The scene before me was surreal. Pirates and Marines looked at each other, almost with an air of routine, a scripted end to a brief skirmish. It was as if, in their minds, a little clashing was nothing but a prelude to the pirates’ surrender. No confusion clouded their faces; no surprise at how abruptly the conflict had ceased. It was exactly as if both parties had always expected it to happen this way. A Marine even rushed to Locke’s side, his movements swift and filled with a sudden urgency for medical attention.

I stood there, grappling with the sudden realization of the earrings' power and my own inadvertent role in altering the course of the encounter. Pirates and Marines, who moments ago had been locked in a **** struggle, now stood in an almost cordial tableau.

“Alright, line up! Let's make this quick and clean, boys,” one of the Marine officers commanded, his voice firm but devoid of any real hostility. The pirates, their faces a mix of relief and resignation, began to form a line, hands on their heads, weapons discarded by their feet.

A younger Marine, looking bewildered as I felt by the sudden shift from chaos to calm, murmured to a seasoned officer beside him, “I didn’t expect them to give up so easily, sir.”

The older Marine chuckled, clapping him on the shoulder, “You’re lucky this is the East Blue, son. Things are simpler here, a brief scuffle, a show of ****, and then it’s over. Out on the Grand Line, it’d be a different story altogether.”

As the older Marine casually remarked about the relatively tame nature of piracy incidents in the East Blue, I couldn't help but snicker under my breath. The idea that things were simpler here was laughable to me. I'd heard enough wild tales on the Miss Love Duck to know that Marines didn't usually play nice, and pirates could swing from a noose just for flying the Jolly Roger.

But now, with these earrings, it seemed I could flip the script on the usual bloody encounters. The thought of wielding such power was more exhilarating than terrifying. Sure, I was just a young, dumb guy mostly thinking with my other head, but damn, the possibilities were thrilling. These treasures might very well be my ticket to the One Piece, letting me decide what was normal for everyone and keeping anyone from getting in my way!

"I take it you didn't kill anyone?" I overheard another Marine ask, his voice as casual as if he were inquiring about the weather.

"Nah, just started the robbing and mayhem when you boys showed up," a pirate responded, almost beaming with pride over his restraint, which was now seen as the norm rather than the exception.

This whole scene was surreal. The changes I’d made with a few muttered words had not only halted the **** but seemed to have altered everyone's perception of 'normal.' Instead of a deadly skirmish, a brief scuffle and a peaceful surrender was now the standard in the East Blue.

As I watched the Marines efficiently round up the pirates without a hint of the usual hostility, my mind raced with the implications. With these earrings, I had the power to reshape realities, to manipulate scenarios to my liking. The prospect of testing the limits of this power was too tempting to ignore. Why should I restrain myself? This was a chance to make my mark, to steer my destiny rather than being swept along by the tides of fate.

Sure, I needed to understand these earrings better—what young pirate wouldn't want to master such a potent tool? But my focus wasn't on caution. It was an opportunity. The potential to use this power not just for survival, but for ascendancy, pulsed through me like a current.

With a grin plastered on my face, I watched as none of the pirates were led to the gallows today. Instead, they were treated almost like mischievous children, a far cry from the brutal endings I knew were common. This new 'normal' was my doing, and it felt damn good.

As the Marines began to wrap up, securing the last of the pirates, I slipped away quietly to one of the hanging lifeboats, unnoticed in the commotion. My mind was already buzzing with plans and possibilities. If I could control this power, understand it and bend it to my will, there was no telling how far I could go. Today was just the beginning, and I was eager to see where this new path would lead.